Starching or dampening machine.



No. 719,912. 7 PATENTED. FEB. 3, 1903.

A. P. VREELAND & J. R. MODONALD. STARUHING OR DAMPENING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR: 5, 1902. no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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'No. 719,912. PATENTED FEB. 3, 1903.

A. P. VREELAND & J. MoDONALD. STARGHING 0R DAMPBNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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TATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER P. VREELAND AND JOHN R. MCDONALD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNORS TO B. BRUCE WATSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STA'RCHING OR DAMPENING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forrning part of Letters Patent No. 719, dated February 3,1903.

'- Application filed April 5, 1902. Serial No. 101,487- (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that we, ALEXANDER P. VREE- LAND and JOHN R. MCDONALD,residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Starching or DampeningMachines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention pertains to laundry machinery, more particularly todampening and starching machines, but has more especial reference to andis herein shown in connection with machines for starching collars andcuffs and the like; and the object thereof is to provide a simple,efficient, and reliable machine of this character and one capable whenembodied in a starching-machine of automatically starching collars andcuffs in the same manner and with the same beneficial results as inhand-starching, which has heretofore been recognized as the best. Ourmachine is therefore designed to perform substantially the samemovements as in handstarching, at least to attain the same results, withthe further obtained advantage-0f permitting the use of cold thickstarch instead of thin hot starch. However, as above suggested, ourinvention may be embodied in a dampening-machine, the starch-tankbecoming, in such case a Water-tank.

The above-outlined features of advantage, as Well as others, will beapparent from the description of the construction and operation of ourmachine, as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation on the 'line A ofFig. 2; and Fig. 2, a plan of our machine, the small figures below Fig.1 constituting a part of Fig. 1 and representing the end portions of theaprons at opposite ends of the machine.

The machine herein illustrated is a starching-machine comprising astarch-tank 1, of-

removable from the starch-tank within which these cradles loosely rest.

On the upper cradle 2 are mounted bearings 4, in which is journaled atransverse driving-shaft 5, extending beyond the line of the tank, whereit is provided with 'a drivegear 6, Fig. 2. Upon this shaft and ateither side of the mm; are secured end heads or plates .7 7, whichpreferably have cast thereon the ring 8 for strengthening purposes andwhich form the heads of what We term a saturating-roll. These heads arespider-shaped by reason of the radially-projecting portions 9, whoseends are round ed to form What may be considered as rounded gear-teeth,with a deep rounded cavity or space between them, and adapted to receivesimilar rounded teeth, as hereinafter made apparent. Betweencorresponding ones of these projecting portions or rounded teeth of theopposite heads are arranged rods or tubes 10, which may or may not berotatable independently of the heads. However, rotatability thereof ispreferable, in which case there may be employed hollow tubes whose endsare closed and provided with short shafts 11, pivoted in holes in therounded teeth of the heads.

The above-described construction constitutes the upper saturatinggear-roll, which cooperates with the similar lower saturating gear-rollmade and arranged as follows: At a point below the shaft 5 the cradle 3has bearings for a similar transverse driven shaft 12, on which aresecured the two end heads or plates 13 13, similar to the heads 7 on theshaft 5. These heads 13 have a series of transverse rods or bars 14,also preferably rotatable in their heads.

Both of the saturating devices above described maybe for conveniencedesignated as gear-rolls, inasmuch as they intermesh, as shown in Fig.1, both as to the heads and as to the transverse rollers or tubes. Bypreference and as herein shown the lower saturating-roll is driven bythe .upper roll; but while this is desirable it is not absolutelyessential, so long as such rolls are driven in unison. Although we haveshown end heads with provision for five transverse rollers, yet

it is obvious that the number thereof may be varied as desired or asfound expedient.

The goods or articles to be starched-as,

IOO

for instance, collars and stuffsare carried through the machine by meansof a pair of endlessbelts or aprons,asuitablearrangement of which isshown in Fig. 1. Beginning with the upper apron A at the very top of themachine and referring to Fig. 1, this apron runs to the left in thedirection of the arrow and around a roller 15, extending transversely ofthe cradle 2 and journaled in upright extensions 16 thereof. The apron Ais then deflected vertically downward and under a roller 17, which isjonrnaled in boxes 18, sliding in slots 19 in said extensions 16. Theraising or lowering of the boxes by means of the screw 20, worked by thehand-wheel 21, causes a loosening or a tightening of the apron, wherebythe apron may be adjusted and may be run tight or loose, as desired bythe operator. The apron then passes around the large feed-roller 22,journaled in downwardly spring pressed boxes 23, arranged in the cradle2, so as to be capable of yielding to some extent to the collars andcuffs fed into the machine, as hereinafter described. The apron thenpasses over a deflecting-roller 24, journaled in the cradle 3, and thenpasses vertically downward around the tension or take-up roller 25,downwardly spring pressed and journaled in the lower end of thedepending extensions 26 of the cradle 2. The apron then passes betweenthe intermeshing saturating gear-rolls and under a tension device ortake-up roller 27, downwardly spring-pressed and journaled in dependingextensions or arms 28 of the cradle 2. The purpose of these rollers 25and 27 is to take up all slack in both aprons, and thereby keep themtaut, but yielding. The apron finally passes over the roller 29, whichis also journaled in the spring-pressed and sliding boxes, as shown inFig. 1, forapurpose hereinafter described. This completes the circuit ofthe upper apron and brings us back to the point of starting. Nowstarting with the lower apron B at the extreme left-hand end of themachine this apron passes over the small stationary feed-roller 30,journaled in the extensions 31 of the cradle 3, and then passes betweenit and the large feed-roller 22, then, in company with the apron A, overthe rollers 24 and 25, through the intermeshing saturatinggear-rolls,under the take-up roller 27, andover the roller 32, where itparts company with the apron A. This roller 32 is journaled inupwardly-extending extensions 33 of the cradle 3. In traversing the tankfrom left to right between the rollers 30 and 32that is, between thefeed and delivery points of the machine-the two aprons travel together,one on top of the other, with the collars or cuffs held between them andfed and conveyed along therewith. After leaving the roller 32 the apronB then proceeds along horizontally, or substantially so, beyond theright-hand end of the starch-tank, so as to form a deliverytable in thesame manner as the other end of the apron B to the left of the tankforms a feed-table. The apron B then extends around a small roller 34,which may be so mounted in suitable manner as to tighten or adjust itsapron. This apron then returns to the tank .around the top roller 35,bottom rollers 36 and 37, and top roller 38, the latter of which is bypreference journaled in yielding boxes 39 for the purpose of pressingthe returning apron B against the, feed-roller 30 in such manner as toscrape or wring the starch from such apron. The apron finally passesaround the end roller 40, which may be mounted similar to the roller 34for a like purpose. Either one or both of the aprons may be wide ornarrow, according to desire or requirements of the particular articlesto be starched, and, in fact, the width of the starching-machine, aswell as the width of the various rollers, including thesaturating-rolls, may be varied as desired. When, however, the machineis working only on collars or cuffs, these aprons may be narrow bands ofsufficient width to accommodate such articles.

Referring to Fig. 2, the gear 6 is a drive gear and may be driven in anysuitable manner. Such gear drives by means of an intermediate gear 41the gear 42, which is secured to the shaft of the feed-roller 22.However, any convenient or approved method of gearing may be adopted forthe purposes in view. Furthermore, as hereinbefore stated, the lowersaturating-roll is driven by its upper roll, the said rolls being, infact, in the nature of gears which intermesh, carrying the aprons intothe meshes thereof.

In practice the articles to be starched, such as collars and cufis, arein the present instance fed at the left-hand end of the machine, andwhen the feed-rollers 22 and 30 are reached the articles are heldbetween the aprons and conveyed thereby through the machine and arefinally delivered at the righthand end of the machine. The collars andcuffs themselves encounter the saturatingrolls, and by reason of thepeculiar and novel construction and operation of such rolls the collarsand cuffs are moved up and down in the tank and are deflected first inone direction and then in another, this occurring several times, insubstantially the same manner as the articles to be starched aredeflected and rubbed between the hands when handstarched. Furthermore,these saturatingrolls serve the purpose of forcing the starch throughthe articles to be starched, so that such articles will be thoroughlypermeated and saturated with starch. Just as the aprons and the goodsconveyed thereby are about to leave the machine, or rather the tank,they are pressed between the rollers 29 and 32, the former roller beingspring-pressed, whereby all surplus starch is expressed from the apronsand from the articles starched.

It is preferable, but not essential, that the roller 25 should be atension-roller similar to roller 27 and as shown in the drawings inorder that the slack of the aprons might be effectually taken up on bothsides of the gearrolls, thereby insuring proper and uniformity of actionin the machine.

As hereinbefore stated, our invention is applicable .to adampening-machine, in which event the same structure as above describedwould be employed and water would be substituted for starch in the tank.

We claiml. A machine of the class described having,

in connection with a tank, adapted to contain a suitable liquid, asaturating device located therein and consisting of apair of hollowframes meshing with each otherand each composed of rotatable end headsand a series of transverse rods between said heads, said frames beingopen from side to side, whereby the articles passing between such framesare exposed to the liquid at all points; substantially as described.

2. A machine of the class described having in connection with a tank tocontain a suitable liquid, a saturating device located therewithin andconsisting of a pair of similar intermeshing rolls or hollow frames,each comprising rotatable gear shaped end heads and transverseconnecting-rods between said heads, said frames being open and therespective rods of the frames cooperating and meshing to cause effectivestarching or dampening of the articles being operated upon;substantially as described.

3. A machine of the class described having, in connection with a tank tocontain liquid, a saturating device therein comprising a pair of meshingrolls which are in the form of openwork cylinders open from side to sideand be-' tween which the articles to be treated pass, whereby thearticles are deflected and moved up and down in the tank insubstantiallyconstant contact with the liquid in the tank; substantiallyas described.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of two travelingaprons adapted to receive between them and convey the articles to betreated, and a pair of gear-like rolls consistingof intermcshing hollowframes open from side to side and between which the aprons pass;substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of two travelingaprons adapted to receive between them and convey the articles to betreated, and a pair of rotatable intermeshing rolls between which theaprons pass, each roll consisting of a frame open from side to side, oneof said rolls having a yielding movement with respect to the other;substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of upper andlower traveling aprons adapted to convey the articles to be treated, apair of intermeshing rolls between which said aprons pass, means locatedon opposite sides of said rolls to take up momentary slack in bothaprons, and means for taking up the permanent slackin the upper apron;substantially as described.

7. The combination of a tank for starch or water, two cradles mountedone in the other and removable from each other and from the tank, andsaturating intermeshing rolls journaled in the cradles respectively andcomprising hollow cylinders open from side to side;

substantially as described.

8. A machine of the class described having a saturating devicecomprising a pair of cooperating rolls, each consisting of two rotatableend heads having radial projections with rounded ends andcorrespondingly-rounded spaces between said projections, and a series ofrods or bars, extending between the projections of the end heads, theend heads and the series of rods of the two rolls intermeshing, thearticles to be treated being passed between such rolls; substantially asdescribed.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of travelingaprons adapted to convey the articles to be treated, a pair ofgear-rolls between which said aprons pass and which cause an up-and-downmovement and deflection of the aprons and spring-pressed rollersarranged at both sides of the gearrolls and over which the aprons pass;substantially as described.

10. The combination with the tank 1 of an upper cradle 2 and lowercradle 3 loosely and removably arranged therein, a transverse dle 3, twoend heads 13 secured to shaft 12 and similar to the heads 7, the twosets of heads and rods being adapted to mesh and to force starch orwater into the articles passed between them; substantially as described.

11. A machine of the class described having, in connection with a tankadapted to contain a suitable liquid, a saturating device arranged insuch tank and consisting of a pair of hollow frames meshing with eachother and open at their central portions, each frame being composed ofrotatable end heads connected by a series of transverse rods arranged atequal distances from the central axis of the frame; substantially asdescribed.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of twotraveling aprons adapted to receive between them and convey the articlesto be treated, a tank for containing a suitable liquid, and a pair ofintermeshing rolls arranged within the tank and between which saidaprons and articles pass, each roll consisting of a hollowframe open asto its central portion and having rotatable end heads connected by aseries of transverse rods arranged at equal distances from the centralaxis of the roll; substantially as described.

ALEXANDER P. VREELAND.

JOHN R. MCDONALD.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL E. HIBBEN, LoUIs B. ERWIN.

